Flag-controlling apparatus.



A. MILLER.

FLAG CONTROLLJNG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAYH. 191s.

1,298,539; Patented Mar. 25,1919.

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AUGUSTUS MILLER, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

FLAG-CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

Application filed May 11, 1918. Serial No. 233,965.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUoUsTUs MILLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Flag Cont-rolling Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are: to maintain the service relation of flags and similar articles; to avoid injuring the flag or other article while restraining or limiting its movement; to provide for storage or packing a device of the character mentioned within limited compass; to facilitate the dis position of the device to active or inactive position; and to provide means for readily installing the device upon a flag staff.

Drawings.

Figure l is a perspective view showing the apparatus herein disclosed as in active service;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus, the view being shown on an enlarged scale;

- Fig. 3 is a detail view on an enlarged scale, showing one of the swivel plates with which the apparatus is provided and frag ments of the Outriggers and controlling rods therefor, the Outriggers being in inactive position;

Fig. '1'- is a cross section, the section being taken as on the line in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the members shown in Fig. 3, the fragments of Outriggers being shown as actively disposed;

Fig. 6 is a cross section of the swivel plate, the section being taken as on the line 6-6 in Fig. l;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view showing the parts disclosed as inactively disposed.

I Description.

As seen in the drawings, a plurality of flexible wire wands 12 are pivotally attached to knuckles 13. As seen best in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the knuckles 13 are pivotally attached by means of pins 14, t0 the lugs 15, on swivel plates 16. There are two knuckles 13 on each plate 16,'and a corresponding number of wands 12 are connected, one to each of the knuckles. The swivel plates 16 are disposed at intervals as shown best in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, so that the wands 16 when outspread, cover the space occupied by the flag or banner when the same attempts to swing around the staff on which it and the wands are mounted.

As shown in Fig. 1, the preferred mounting of the flag is that wherein the flag-pole 17 is held in a socket bracket 18, and extended substantially horizontally therefrom. Normally the flag is pendent from the pole 17 and the lanyard 19. When, however, the breeze has a tendency to lift the free end of the flag above the pole 17, the flag is engaged by the wands 12, which interfere with the movement of the flag and prevent it from passing above to fall over and around the pole 17.

If the flag becomes entangled with one or more of the wands, said wands are depressed, the springs 20, which support the same yielding to permit the depression. When the flag has depressed the wands to an extent where the wands spill the flag or allow the same to become disengaged therefrom, the springs 20 immediately return the wands to the horizontal position normally assumed by them as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. the wands are held normally in a horizontal position by a tail-piece 21, which bears under the extension 22 of each of the knuckles l3 and operates to brace the wands in parallel relation to said extension 22. Each wand is, however, free to swing upward around its supporting pin 31, to the position substantially as shown by dash-and-dot lines in Fig. 6. By thus yielding upwardly, the wands avoid placing a tearing strain 011 the flag while restraining the same from passing entirely over the pole to become wrapped about the same.

The swivel plates 16 are pivotally mounted on runner strips 23. The runner strips 23 have grooves 24, wherein rest operating rods 25. The rods 25 are pivotally connected by means of pins 26, with said plates. The handles 27 of said rods extend to the inner end of the strip 23 and adjacent the butt end of the pole 17 and of the socket 1.8 in which the same is mounted. The handles 27 are thus accessible to anyone desiring to operate the wands.

As the swivel plates 16 are turned fro the crosswise position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, to the lengthwise position shown in Figs. 2 and 5 of the drawings, the wands are extended in spread relation to the strip 23 or in perpendicular arrangement thereto.

If the has been furled, it may be found desirable to dispose the wands 12 parallel with and juxtaposed to the pole 17. This is done by pulling on one or other of the rods 25, until the plates 16 with which they are connected are turned in their position on the strip 23.

If the pole is unstepped or taken from v the socket 18 and stored, the strip .23 may be removed therefrom or allowed to remain, as the "owner desires,- but in' any event, the wands are placed in parallel relation to the pole. In such an arrangement, the middle wands are left spread, and one of each of the end pairs is bent back as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings, until the two wands of the end plates are extended in the same direction, which direction is toward the center of the strip 28.

To permit the swinging of the wands in the manner above set forth, each of the end plates 16 is provided with a spring latch 28. The latches 28 are each provided with parts connected therewith do not occupy an unusual. amount of space.

Claims.

1. An apparatus as characterized comprising a flag pole; a plurality of swivel plates mounted on said pole in spaced relation lengthwise thereof; means for swinging said plates on their centers; and a plurality of yielding members laterally extended from said plates for preventing the flag passing'above said pole.

2. An apparatus as characterized comprising a flag pole; a plurality of swivel plates mounted on said pole in spaced relation'lengthwise thereof; means for swinging said plates on their centers; and a plurality of yielding members laterally ex tended from said plates for preventing the flag passing above said pole, said members beingdis'posed in paired relation and freely yielding to a position approximately vertical; and means for arresting the upward movement of said members and for permitting the depression thereof.

3. An apparatus as characterized comprising a flag pole; a plurality of swivel Copies of this patent may be obtained for plates mounted on said pole in spaced relation lengthwise thereof; means for swinging said plates on their centers; and a plurality of yielding members laterally extended from said plates for preventing the flag passing above said pole, said members being disposed in paired relation and freely yielding to a position approximately vertical; and means for arresting the upward movement of said members and for permitting the depression thereof, said means embodying a plurality of knuckle members pivotally connected with said plates, and suspension springs for normally holding said knuckles in position where said members are horizontally disposed.

4. An apparatus as characterized comprising a mounting strip adapted to overlie the flag pole; a plurality of swivel plates pivotally mounted to rotate on said mounting strip, said swivel plates having upturned lugs; a plurality of knuckle members pivotally mounted on said swivel plates normally extensible in opposite directions; a spring latch for holding said knuckle members in normal extension a plurality of spring members for supporting said knuckles in the normal horizontal position; a plurality of wands pivotally mounted in said knuckle members for extension normally in horizontal relation; and means for.

normally preventing the depression of said ands from the horizontal level of said knuckle members.

5. An apparatus as characterized comprising a mounting strip adapted to overlie the flag pole; a plurality of swivel plates pivotally mounted to rotate onsaid mounting strip, said swivel plates having upturned lugs; a plurality of knuckle mem bers pivotally mounted on said swivel plates normally extensible in opposite directions; a spring latch for holding said knuckle members in normal extension; aplurality of spring members for supporting said members in the normal horizontal position; a plurality of wands pivotally mounted in said knuckle members for extension normally in horizontal relation; and meansffor normally preventing the depression of said wands from the horizontal level of said knuckle members, said means embodying a;

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